Peace in the Storm

Rembrandt "Jesus Calms the Storm"

John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

I used this scripture in yesterday's post as the fonder of contemplation in dealing with marital strife. But as I reflected more on it myself it came repeatedly to my mind that in Christ is peace, in the world is tribulation.

A mind in Christ is in peace, a mind focused on the world is in tribulation and turmoil. A spirit dwelling inside the kingdom of God is in Christ and Christ is in him and the perspective gives peace, but a spirit striving after the world and self is in tribulation and turmoil.

Henri Nouwen says, "Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have very different dynamics, and we can literally 'choose where to live,' while owning both.  The ups and downs of our emotional lives depend a great deal on our past experiences and present surroundings and what they 'trigger.' ...

The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend solely on our current level of obedience and surrender to what we Know to be so, regardless of external circumstances - that is, our attentive listening to and acting with the movements of the Spirit of God within us.  Without this listening and acting our spiritual life eventually becomes 'subject to' the windswept waves of our emotions, where we will 'act good' when we 'feel good,' and 'act bad' when we 'feel bad,' pointing to others as the cause when we act bad and feeling good about ourselves when we act good."

 There is an option, a choice if you will. It must be developed, and certainly does not come naturally. But we can choose to live by the spirit, and live in the peace of obedience to God. We can in turn develop this ability not by strengthening anything. There is no amount of self-will that can get us there. Rather we have to find this spirit strength in the weakness of surrender and a daily death. In this place is Christ and His peace. In this place we sleep on the boat in the middle of the storm.

Today I am there... in the sweet place of surrendered obedience. And believe it or not, it's so peaceful it is unnerving. Somehow my soul tells a lie of missing the stress of; striving to discover purpose,  and how can I so something for God, and why are these opportunities not opening up? What a joke. How can any part of me not enjoy the rest of simple obedience. How can part of myself try to shake me from the sleep so that I can go back to needlessly focusing on the waves.

What a stupid soul that I have... I choose to rest in the spirit.